We work hard for the money

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Just fyi: this is Rachel writing this blog. Tanner is currently tending bar, which is the subject of this entry: OUR NEW JOBS!!!!!

So caps lock aside, working does pretty much suck in any country, but at least both Tanner and I have once again become contributing members of society. I'll go first. I work as an executive/personal assistant to the CEO of the New Zealand Post Office. It's a small country; don't be too impressed. Anywho, it's my job to make sure that he knows about all of his appointments and travel plans. I organize his "diary" (calendar) and also do other random tasks that he sees fit. It's very bureaucratic, and I'm coming into contact with all kinds of jargon I haven't seen since the business school at UNC -- and that I'd hoped that I never would again as well (e.g. six sigma, IPP aka individual performance plans, etc). All that said, I'm being paid very well and the people are nice. It's not nearly as bad as other desk jobs I have had (cough, cough, Securities & Exchange Commission) and it's only for a month, so it doesn't feel interminable. However, as illustrated with my stint as a waitress, I have very little patience with these "job" things that everyone is always talking about, so I am going to try to be a bartender part-time for a while so that when I can't take office work any more, I can be a bartender for a month or so.

Now for Tanner, our industrious friend who is at work right now in fact. He is working part-time at a bar named "The Big Kumara," though neither Tanner nor I know what a Kumara is. His boss is really cool and it's a fun, student-y bar. So we should all be very happy for him. He's wanted to find a cool place to be a bartender for a while, and this one seems to be it. Also, ever ambitious, Tanner is starting a full-time job tomorrow with the Ministry of Health. This time you can be a little impressed, as Tanner will be using his journalism knowledge to edit and write the Ministry's weekly newsletter. His work is also quite near mine so I look forward to doing lunch hours and happy hours downtown. Also, both of our jobs are crazy near our fabulous apartment that I CANNOT wait to move in to. 5 nights and counting.....slowly counting.....

So Tanner's bitter post about Hudson can now be revoked because it got us both "jobs."

Okay, that's all for this quick update. I hope all is well back at home, and we'll let you know how things are going again soon.

PS -- No more fecal incidents to speak of. phew.

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Photos

Tanner's favorite fountain EVER
We had to sit and wait for the bottom scoop to fill up with water.

The Beehive
aka New Zealand's Parliament. We had just finished the tour.

ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Day trip the the fantastic Wellington zoo.

Night out in Wellywood!
Round 1 of many

.....and Rachel after
It was not a pretty picture (and needless to say, the night ended early).